Love them or hate them, Apple Computer has never been like other computer companies. The corporate culture at One Infinite Loop has always been pretty seriously removed from the suit-and-tie mentality of, say, IBM; jeans and t-shirts and bare feet are more the reigning style. The co-founder and interim CEO chooses a cruelty-free diet and typically addresses the public while wearing jeans and a black turtleneck. Apple has historically been a great benefactor of the educational system. Their products are the choice of computer-using artists, writers, musicians, and members of the counterculture. Yes, these are all generalizations, but even down to the groovy rainbow-colored logo (which may on the way out, but it still remains in the operating system), Apple evokes a certain feeling that other computer makers do not. Things are changing, sure, but the perception of Apple as a "liberal" company persists.

Which is why it's such a trip to hear two-time Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson lambast Apple for not including minorities on its board of directors. According to a CNN article, Jackson recently issued a statement that he was forgoing another run for the Presidency in order to concentrate on an issue that he believes may more directly affect civil rights issues and the future welfare of minorities: representation of those minority groups in big business. In his statement, he singles out Apple Computer as a company who "uses the images of Jackie Robinson, Cesar Chavez, and Miles Davis" to sell their products, but who "fails to include a single African American or Latino on its board." Claiming that he's "not fooled" by Apple's posturing, he states that Rainbow/PUSH has acquired Apple stock and he "fully intends to be among the attendees at Apple's next shareholders' meeting." Cool-- but he's got a year to wait.

We don't have any grand political statement or moral stance to make, here-- we really don't want to get into that. We just think the juxtaposition of impressions of Apple is noteworthy, and next year we may have a really interesting show if Rev. Jackson shows up in Cupertino and starts raising hell. That's pure ratings gold! Groovy, man...